Coking of coal



1!? STS PATENT FFH@E.

STEWART ROY ILLINGWORTH, 01E RADYR, GLAIMEORGAN, WALES, ASSIGNOR TO ILLING- WORTH CARBONIZATION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

CURING or COAL.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART Ror ILLING= WORTH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Brynfedwen, Station 5 Road, Radyr, in the county of Glamorgan,

Vales, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in the Coking of Goal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and modifications of the invention described in my former Patent No. 1,422,269, July 11,

1922, relating to the coking of coal.

The objects of my former and present inventions are to obtain a dense coke produced under uniform conditions, the production of coke from coals from which under present conditions it is not possible to obtain such coke and to improve the yield and quality of the byproducts.

In my former specification these results were obtained by preheating the coal to a temperature below 500 C. that is to a temperature at which all resinic substances in the coal are decomposed. The process however may be carried out at temperatures above 500 C. but. below 600 C. at which temperature decomposition of the products it vis-desired to eliminate from the coal takes place more rapidly and the yield of byproducts will be smallerand moreover benzenoid hydrocarbons are produced. The higher the temperature employed the greater the decomposition of the hydrocarbons first evolved, the amount of decomposition depending on the time the hydrocarbons are in contact with the hot walls and fittings.

It is known that a certain'minimum temperature 'for the preheating must be employed for each'type of coal and this mini- 40 mum temperature is higher the greater be the carbon hydrogen ratio of the coal. The desired degree of preheating of the coal can be achieved by the employment of any temperature above the minimum up to 600 C.

and since therate of decomposition of the substances that it is desired to eliminate increases with rise of temperature, the period of preheating is thereby shortened.

Application filed August 12, 1922. Serial No. 581,488.

According to this invention coal is submitted to a preheating temperature between 500 and 600 C. out of contact with air so as to destroy the non-coke producing substances in the coal but to leave in the product resinic substances of a weight not l ss th n 5% of the weight of the product.

The process above described may be conducted in a vacuum produced by a gas pump or the like. The use of a vacuum is particularly advantageous when the higher temperatures are employed, the hydrocarbons being more readily disengaged from the charge and the time of contact with the hot walls and fittings being shortened, and therefore the decomposition of the hydrocarbons first given off is lessened. The degree of vacuum would depend upon circumstances, but at temperatures of 500 C. a vacuum of at least 20 inches of mercury WOllld be used and at temperatures of above 600 C. endeavours would be made to attain 28 inches.

What I claim is 1. In the art of coking coal, the improvement which comprises submitting the coal in a partial vacuum to a temperature between 500 and 600 C., and for a time sutficient to destroy a substantial portion of the non-coke producing substances in the coal but to leave 5% by weight of the resinic substances in the product.

2. In the art of coking coal, the improvement which comprises heating the coal in a partial vacuum to a temperature between 500 and 600 C., the temperature being so selected for the particular coal as to leave in the coal not-substantially less than 5% of substances soluble in boiling pyridine and in. chloroform, While destroying theb'ulk of the substances in the coal which are soluble in caustic alkalies, whereby a coal having good coking properties is produced.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 28 day of July 1922.

STEWART ROY TLLINGWORTH. 

